Let me introduce the crew of Cooks, Poets, Choppers, Washers, SouperStars:
Scott, the one and only, who has come back, been back and does as he pleases, in classic vintage style and button-ups, “Giggity Giggity.” Our Essential Logan, Professor of soup, stews, fish and stir frys with garnishes to boot. Balin, new daddy and the eternal flame, Cedric, our very own brand of Mello Yellow, and Ashton, seven classes and still has time to rock! Actually, everyone does dishes and there are so many dishes! See the dishwasher essays for all the grimy details.

The Greeters, Eaters, Actors, Servers and Seaters are:
Bret our own bar aficionado and co- leader-by-popular-vote, Jam, back again on her second tour, leading the way in Three-Musketeers style, Our own Eddie, with endless tranquility and perfect teas, Miss Coco Chanel Courtney Peacock setting the tone, Senator Andy Whitaker serious title for a serious player, Dub!, Sara Macy, gallery hopping fiend and gorge enthusiast, Aaron, with bowties and bands galore, Master Masseuse Kirsten with her dingo baby, Clary, physics femme fatale, Jessica Rogers, the consummate rabbit and Irma Vep look-alike, Alabama Mary who is not contrary also known as Allen, Our own Ray of Light, there are not enough words, Georgian Jason from Gone with the Wind, Gareth the everything man, runs food, runs sound, runs lights, runs races and wins them all, Heidi, our own Mrs. Balin who keeps the water flowing, Nick with diabolical glasses, Bek, from Kazakhstan rolls with the punches, and of course, the incomparable Mr. Ed Desiato and his laugh-of-doom.

And there’s the graduating class:
Restaurants are like schools, so many people pass through them working, waiting, dropping out of school, going back to school, taking classes while working, graduating and joining and rejoining the real world. Some get kicked out, flunk out and some leap out, some keep coming back. Here's a few that have graduated in one form or another:
Will the light in the darkness, lover of olive green, Nathan, liberal-greenhouse-website-creator-radio-talk-show-host, Charlie our own Humphrey Bogart needs a cannoli, Starry-eyed Michelle in the rolling hills of West Virginia, Cliff, on a foreign beach getting lost, Daniel Schoenberg, who has the biggest teeth in Oregon, Smooth- talking Derrek and his eyebrows, Jonathan, the high roller, Annie who used to milk cows as a child, Parisian Polly, Quiet Manny with all his questions, Eric who when not acting or directing somewhere is at Actor’s Guild, Tara, who filled in the blanks, Michael Vine with a voice so fine, Neelun to pursue catering dreams, Pilar who is never here nor there, sweet tooth Brian “Mr. P” started a furniture store, Alex is sweeping sand off porches in the desert, Jordan swapped downtown kitchens, Marcie who moved with grace, Lauren in a box, Craig who is probably auditioning for shows somewhere, Jaspal in her studies, the wisest of them all, Valedictorian Jimmy drafting designs and riding horses, C Chris is making pretty pictures for large corporations, Justin III is back in banking, K Kris got his professional graphics job in Cincinnati, Jonathan the photographer devotes full time to the Lexicon Project, Steadfast and relentless Brian who came back twice finally graduated (this time for real?), Daniel who bussed, Kullen, Justin I, Justin II, Yolanda, Julie who is a freelance writer that actually got work, Anitra who performed here and everywhere acts of love and duty, Amy (owns the bicycle out front), Kyle now counseling, Nicky and Rob the first coffee baristas, Shae who sang and is still banned: (charges of attempted singing with intent), Thomas who built, Beverly who was quiet, Trey whose guardian angel still lurks around, Dave who left for HI, Patrick, Sherrie, Sarah, Crystal, Ethan, Angie, Neil, Jason our own elemental, Greg, Johnny, Jill, Tony, Crystal, Danny, Miky T, Thaddeus, Will in memoriam, Ben, Paco who left for Siberia, returned and then missed the cold and left, Matt, Brandon, Josh, Robert, Delia (where are you?!), and Tevis, in Memoriam.

Going back further, Buthena and Hend princesses from Libya, Mudd who is from Mars washed dishes, and pierced his body parts, Bryant our first manager who managed himself, Lee, Hose, Vivian, Verdi, Elizabeth, Mike the rabbi, Julie, Terry, Adrian, Karl Marx, Angie, and Mat, Jessica, Scot, Bryan, Betty, Peter, Eric, and dear Nancy L.

The Gardner, Julie whose plants are soon to take over sidewalks. we were afraid we wouldn’t have any garden space…that was before Natasha spotted clay chimney liners from Clay Ingels and behold the patio was born.
The dog random and side mutt Sadie.

Roz-bert the bear specialist (no bears were harmed during the making of this comment), Linda (the nurse) and Meriah who is aware of movement, Pillar, all help Natasha. John Brown, the motorcycle specialist and hermit, Leonard Cohen, whose music plays in the background of the cafe. And then there are the owners/debtors, Gene, my husband of Baptist/Buddhist/Beatnik descent, and myself a communist Jew from Russia. We're a non-melting pot, more a tossed salad. If you want more of us go to the kitchen

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